Freakn' Shifters Bundle (3-in-1) (72 page)

“Chris?”

“Hey baby. Miss me?” he asked with a grin as he sauntered from the side of the house.

“What are you doing here?”

“My job.”

She stared at him blankly.

“Protecting you. Mate rule number one.”

“But you were supposed to get on a plane and follow Kaleb.”

“I did, and I followed him when he hopped flights back to Ottawa. Aren’t you glad to see me?”

Yes, but she had a more pressing concern. “Where’s my brother?”

“Oh, he went on to the compound as planned.”

“He what!”

“But I’m sure he’s fine. Stu, Kendrick and the gang were meeting up with the cousins out there last we spoke. Shouldn’t be long before we get the all clear.”

“You knew this would happen? That Kaleb would come back for me?”

“Not one hundred percent sure, but I had a feeling.”

“So you were here the entire time. When were you planning to let me know? Before or after Kaleb dragged me off?”

“Oh, it wouldn’t have come to that. I had my eye on you the whole time. I just thought you needed to speak your piece before I stepped in. Nice shot to the ribs by the way. Good thing I still have my hockey equipment. You could cause some serious damage if you wanted.”

Nope. She wouldn’t let his flattery melt her yet. Not until Sheng was safe and Kaleb taken care of.

A cell phone rang. Chris answered with a hello. He looked grim. Jiao’s heart stopped. Soundlessly, he handed the phone over.

“Jiā z
ǐ
, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Her eyes flooded. “How are you? And Gina? And the others?”

“Fine. We’re all fine. Only a few scratches that will heal. And a mating that’ll leave a mark.”

“You and Gina?”

“Yes. Sorry, but I won’t be around as much to drive you crazy.”

“I’m sure I’ll survive,” Jiao remarked dryly.

“I hear you guys caught on to Kaleb’s sneaky plan. Do me a favor and give him a punch from me?”

“You bet.” They hung up and the last of her tension eased. Sheng was safe. Mated. The compound discovered. It left just one more item to deal with.

“Where did Kaleb go?” He no longer lay on the ground, but neither did anyone hold him prisoner. Jiao whirled and saw the man staggering off. As if she’d let him escape that easy. “Going somewhere?” she called. Her claws flexed as she scented his fear.

“I’m done with you and your family,” Kaleb blubbered.

“I think that goes without saying, asshat,” Chris said, his body braced behind her, offering his support, but Jiao now knew she could face the trembling human on her own. Chris gave her the chance to confront her demon, a man she once thought was big and tough. Older, wiser and not willing to take his crap anymore, she realized he was just a coward without his paid guards. Now who held the upper hand? If only her father and mother could have lived to see this moment. Hopefully they watched from heaven since she planned to give them and all the other victims poetic justice.

“Hey Kaleb. Since you love sports, I’m going to give you a five minute head start,” she sang.

“What are you doing?” Chris muttered as she stripped off her shirt.

“Hunting. Care to join me?”

“Would I ever!”

In the end, with the exception of Francine – who was forbidden by her mates – and Meredith who offered to watch the babies, they all went on the chase.

Wee baby bunting, kitty’s going hunting, and when she finds a human treat, she’ll bring back her mate, a bloody treat.

Actually, it ended up a clean hunt. They ran after and tortured the human all night until he crawled and sobbed for mercy. And then they gave him over to Patricia who uncovered a human smuggling connection and buried Kaleb in the legal system – also known as a cell full of biker shifters.

The Hell’s Angels had nothing on the Grizzly Northern Bikers down on a binge from the remote territories. Poor Kaleb. The courts declared him insane with all his crazy talk of werewolves.

But that was much later.

Within the hour of the hunt ending, Jiao found herself slumbering in Chris’s arms as he carried her back to her house.

“Now what?” she asked through a yawn.

“Well, seeing as how we’re already freakn’ mated, I thought we’d start with a nap.”

“A nap?” For some reason his suggestion woke her up. “Isn’t this still technically our honeymoon? I mean it’s only been just over a day since you claimed me.”

“I know, and I’m aching for you, baby. But it’s been a roller coaster of a day and night. You need your rest.”

Rest on the first hour of her new freedom and life? Um, no thank you. “What I need is you.”

“Thank freakn’ God. I was so hoping you’d say that.” His mouth caught hers in a torrential kiss, one she could fully enjoy now that the danger, the lies and all the rest were done with. Starting that moment, and forever, she could finally live, and love, and best of all, laugh. Laugh until she cried at Chris’s expression of frustration.

“This is not funny,” he growled staring at the destruction inside her house. It seemed Kaleb didn’t visit the Grayson home first.

“We don’t need a bed do we?” she asked trailing her fingers down his chest. No, they didn’t or so he proved when he buried his face between her thighs while she sat on the small, squat table that survived the chaos and then again when he bent her over the arm of the torn up couch.

Later, collapsed on the floor, cuddled in his arms, in a pile of clean bedding they salvaged, she giggled and he asked, “What’s so funny?”

“I thought getting the dust off that stupid glass table was annoying. But ass print?” Their laughter rang loud and beautiful.

This was freedom. This was worth fighting for.

*

Over in the Rocky Mountains…

The compound secured, the guards taken care of and the prisoners released, Sheng finally shifted back to his human shape and took the pants someone handed him, but not before he covered Gina in a long shirt that did more to display her assets than he liked.

Thank God it worked. He’d initially balked at the plan to return to Kaleb’s stronghold. His first instinct not fear for himself, but for Gina. Sure, as a cop her first instinct would probably involve saving the victims, but Sheng had a duty to keep his woman safe. But as Chris and his brother’s so eloquently put it, “If you tell her no, she’s going to do it just to prove you wrong. And kick you in the balls for good measure.”

All was well that ended well though. Kaleb had finally met justice. Sheng no longer needed to fear, capture at any rate. His new family on the other hand though…

“Just how many people stayed behind in case Kaleb tried something sneaky?” Sheng asked.

“A couple handfuls. Mom thought Kaleb might not leave so easily. The gang following on the second charter knew for certain when the plane they followed landed for no apparent reason and took off again,” Stu replied.

Peering around at the groups of tall men, the stench of wolf overpowering, Sheng made sure to mutter in a voice only Gina could hear, “Exactly how big is your family?”

The laughter wasn’t what he’d call reassuring, but he forgave it because of the kiss that followed. Despite the sure craziness of the future, for better and better – because he’d already lived with worst – he would have his freedom, this woman, and a shitload of wolves to torment.

“Are you purring again?” she asked.

“Yeah. You got a problem with that?” If she called him a cute kitten again…

“Um, I think I saw an empty office over there. Care to put that rumble to good use?” She arched a brow.

And that quickly, they lost the crowd, he pounded between her thighs, and thanked the gods he owned nine lives because it felt like he died each time he came in her arms.

The Christmas celebration rocked the house while music about Santa ho-ho-ing, jingled, and lights twinkled. Garish decoration abounded with every cliché known to mankind displayed from snowmen, to mangers, to a little village of penguins dressed in pointy red hats. God she loved it. Loved the chaos, and noise, the goodwill and food.

Jiao maneuvered through the bodies, all shifters and mostly wolves given Chris’s family predominated the place. But she did catch the occasional whiff of cat as Javier and Alejandro, accompanying their mates, mingled as well, their swarthier tones offsetting that of the predominantly Caucasian crowd.

A handsome fellow, someone she’d not met before, bumped into her. His eyes lit with interest. “Well hello there, cutie. You must be new. I’m Joel.”

An arm curled around her waist possessively, and Chris growled. “She’s already freakn’ mated, Joel, so go pour the charm on someone else.”

“No. Not you too?” Joel’s eyes widened in mock horror. “Another good man bites the dust.”

“Ha. Ha. Funny man. Just wait. One day, it will happen to you.”

“Perish the thought.” Joel shuddered.

“Perish what?” Kendrick asked coming up alongside them.

“I was just hoping Joel would meet the mate of his nightmares,” Chris joked.

Kendrick snorted. “Might be kind of hard where we’re going. All male, jungle expedition. We leave Boxing Day for the Amazon. We’re supposed to bring some supplies to a shifter group out in the boonies.”

“Why all male?” Jiao asked.

“The clan we’re going to find is very patriarchal to the point any unbound woman is free game, human or shifter. Even mated females aren’t safe if one of their warriors take a fancy.”

Chris laughed. “Maybe you’ll meet the warrior of your dreams then, Joel.”

Jiao felt the impact of the blow through her mate’s body. She hissed at the cause and Chris tightened his arm. “Now you’ve done it. You made my wife angry.”

“She gonna beat me up?” Joel taunted.

“Not her. Me.”

Joel whirled as someone tapped his shoulder. Seconds later, he groaned on the floor while Sheng looked down on him. “No one upsets my sister,” he announced. With a nod in Chris and Jiao’s direction, Sheng placed his arm around Gina’s waist possessively and moved away.

“I am liking your brother more and more,” Chris said with a grin.

“And I think he likes you too.” Or so she guessed amidst Shengs glower’s and taunts asking if Chris wanted a Milkbone for dessert. While Sheng might have given Jiao her freedom, and put her safekeeping in Chris’s hands, he still played an active role in their lives. A very active one, but as Gina confided to Jiao, “He trusts Chris to protect you. But old habits die hard. Just wait until you have kids.”

Jiao couldn’t wait, but judging by the way Sheng hovered over his mate, and how Gina powered down the little sausages wrapped in pastry, Jiao already lost that race, and she couldn’t be happier. Not just because of a possible niece or nephew to spoil. It warmed her through and through to see her brother in love, smiling, and happy. So freakn’ happy, tears made her blink.

“Hey none of that,” Chris whispered.

“Tears of joy,” she sniffed.

“Oh, and here I thought they were because mom burned the sugar pie.” Chris looked so woebegone, she giggled.

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“Someone kill me now,” Stu choked.

“Right on it,” Kendrick hollered.

“Don’t you dare,” Meredith warned.

“Put down the cranberry sauce,” yelled some aunt.

“I’ll save the pie!” Chris yelled.

“Too late. I ate it,” Geoffrey, her new father in law, taunted.

Chaos erupted, her mate in the middle of it. Jiao sighed with happiness.

Wasn’t family grand?

(The End…only of this story)

Stayed tuned for the next Freakn’ Shifter story,
Human and Freakn’,
coming this December to an online store near you.

So you want to know a little about me? Well, I'm in my later thirties, married thirteen years to a wonderful, supportive man—yes, he's a hunk—who gave me three beautiful, noisy children aged t
welve
,
nine
, and
six
. I work as a webmistress and customer service rep from home, and in my spare time—of which there is tragically too little—I write, read, or Wii.

I was born in British Columbia, but being a military brat lived a little bit everywhere—Quebec, New Brunswick, Labrador, Virginia (USA), and finally Ontario. My family and I recently relocated to the Ottawa area to be closer to family and love it!

I'm writing romance the way I like it—hot with a touch of humor and spice. I tend to have a lot of sexual tension in my tales as I think all torrid love affairs start with a tingle in our tummies. My heroes are very male; you could even say borderline chest thumping at times, but they all have one thing in common; an everlasting love and devotion to their woman.

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